The Moment in the Middle
by RadiantBeam
Summary: She remembers what happened in the beginning. She remembers what happened at the end. But she doesn't remember the moment in the middle... and that's the most important moment of all.
1. Awakening

Before I start this story, there are a few people I'd like to respond to...

GoldenFilther: (Jumps, screams, and runs away) ... That was the reaction you wanted, right?

Elodrie: More sisterly love... because there just isn't enough!

Blue-Fire310: Not the in depth Cree/Abby story quite yet, but this one's a start.

**Disclaimer**: I think I've made it pretty clear by now that I'm poor and don't own KND.

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**The Moment in the Middle**

_Chapter 1: Awakening_

"Ow… my head…"

Numbuh 5 moaned weakly. Her eyes fluttered open, and she reached up, tugging off her hat to massage her head.

"Man, how long has it been? Numbuh 5 feels like she's been out for a week…"

"Three hours, to be more precise."

Numbuh 5 jumped, relaxing when Numbuh 1 stepped through the door and walked to her side. "Oh, Numbuh 1, it's you. You scared me."

"How do you feel?"

Now that Numbuh 5 was fully awake, she realized she was in the hospital wing of the tree house. She grunted softly, pulling her hat back on. "Better then I guess I should be."

"That's good," Numbuh 1 said distractedly. Numbah 5 frowned.

"Numbuh 1, what's wrong?"

"Numbuh 5, do you remember what happened before you were unconscious? Anything at all?"

Numbuh 5 frowned. "Yeah. We were fighting teenagers. Cree was leading them…" Her eyes widened and she sat bolt upright. "Cree! Is she alright?"

Numbuh 1 gently pushed Numbuh 5 back down onto the bed. "Your sister is fine, Numbuh 5."

"Are you sure? The last time I saw her…"

"She's fine," Numbuh 1 repeated. "But right now she thinks you aren't."

"What?"

"You don't remember?"

Numbuh 5 frowned, shaking her head. "Remember what? What happened, Numbuh 1? What should Numbuh 5 be remembering?"

Numbuh 1 hesitated, then sighed.

"You'd better stay on that bed, Numbuh 5."

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Hmmm... what does Cree have to do with this? Why is Numbuh 5 so worried about her? What should Numbuh 5 be remembering?


	2. The Battle

Disclaimer: Listen very carefully: I. Don't. Own it.

AN: _Italics _are flashbacks.

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_Chapter 2: The Battle_

"You remember the battle?"

"Yes."

_--The battle was taking place near a forested part of the city, deep within the heart of the forest. There were more teenagers then kids, but the KND fought determinedly._

"_Teenager to your left!"_

"_Watch your rear!"_

"_Take that, ya cruddy teenagers!"_

_The one thing that was most obvious about the battle was that it took place by a cliff that steeped down into a ravine below. But both the teenagers and the kids ignored this fact._

_Despite their fierce rivalry, Numbuh 5 and Cree hadn't met in battle yet, although Cree was close by the teenager her sister was fighting, near the edge of the cliff. Cree was too busy fighting Numbuh 1 to pay much attention to the drop, and Numbuh 5 was too busy fighting Chad to think about her sister's predicament._

_Numbuh 5 ducked to avoid a punch to her head. The battle was moving at a whirlwind pace; she couldn't keep track of her friends even if she wanted to. She yelped slightly when Chad smashed into her shoulder, making her stagger. Cree faltered slightly at the sound but plunged back into battle._

"_I'm gonna end this," Numbuh 5 muttered. "NOW!"_

_She smashed into Chad's stomach, knocking him back. Chad stumbled back into Numbuh 1, and Numbuh 1 was knocked into Cree. The momentum of the impact knocked Cree that last few feet that kept her from plunging into thin air, and with a scream that made Numbuh 5's blood run cold and made her whirl around, Cree fell, her hand catching onto the very edge of the cliff._

_Fear crashed through Numbuh 5 like lightning. She dropped her weapon, shoving Chad aside and diving for the edge just as Cree's hand gave out. She gripped it with both hands. "Cree!"_

_Her sister's fear-stricken eyes met her own, and Numbuh 5 slid forward slightly, Cree's weight dragging her closer to the edge, but she ignored it. "Cree, hold on!"_

"_You have to let go! I'll drag you down!"_

"_But then you'll fall!"_

"_At least you won't go with me!"_

_Numbuh 5 shook her head violently, trying to pull Cree back to safety and failing. Tears of frustration welled in her eyes._

"_Abby!" Cree pleaded._

"_Forget it, Cree! I'm not letting you die!"_

_Gritting her teeth, Numbuh 5 pulled harder, and to her delight Cree was pulled a few inches back up. "Cree, can you grab the edge with your other hand?" she called down._

_Cree frowned, narrowing her eyes with concentration, and her other hand reached up to grip the rock. She tried to pull herself up a little, tried to help Numbuh 5. She dug her elbow into the earth and her feet raked at the wall, finding a firm foothold._

"_I've got ya, Cree. You're almost there," Numbuh 5 grunted, focusing on her sister, the sounds of battle fading into a dark back round. So focused was she that she didn't notice the cracks beginning to weave across the rock she was stretched out on; it couldn't hold her weight, or Cree's, much longer._

_Cree crawled farther; she was almost up. Only then did she see the cracks beginning to web along the rocky surface. "Abby," she gasped._

_Numbuh 5 froze at a loud crack, and the rock lurched slightly beneath her. "Uh oh."_

"_Abby, let go!"_

_Numbuh 5 shook her head; Cree's upper body was on the rock. All that remained dangling was most of her bottom half and her legs. "You're almost there," she snapped. "I'm not lettin' ya go now."_

"_Darn it, Abby! Use your head!"_

"_I AM!"_

_The rock lurched again. Without thinking, Numbuh 5 lunged forward, gripping Cree's shoulders, and with all the strength in her body she threw her sister onto the rock and aside to safety. At that moment the rock gave out and crumbled beneath her, and with a gasp she fell. Cree fell forward, making a desperate grab for her sister. Briefly she caught Numbuh 5's hand, but it was to late; her hand slipped through Cree's fingers, and Cree grasped only air._

"_ABBY!"—_

Numbuh 5 shrugged helplessly. "Numbuh 5 remembers falling, but nothing after that."

Numbuh 1 nodded, standing to pace. "Of course you would," Numbuh 1 muttered, more to himself then to her. "You were unconscious when Cree got down there… you probably hit your head…"

"Whoa, whoa, WHAT about Cree?"

Numbuh 1 sighed.

"Cree's the part you don't remember…"

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Does anyone have any idea how old Cree is? I always thought she was at least fourteen or fifteen, but according to forums she's sixteen...

Hopefully this answered some questions... and look, Ma! It's _longer_!

... Wonder what Cree did after Abby fell...


	3. Get Up

Disclaimer: (Trying to forge ownership papers) I don't own it, darn it!

AN: _Italics _are flashbacks. **_Bold italics _**are thoughts in flashbacks.

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_Chapter 3: Get Up_

"I… I don't understand."

Numbuh 1 sat down beside her. "This is the part where I have to fill in the blanks."

"What happened to Cree?"

"After you fell…"

_--"ABBY!"_

_Cree's panicked cry pierced the sounds of battle, and every kid and teenager froze at the pure anguish in her voice. _

"_Cree! Cree, what's wrong?" One of the teenagers, a slim brown-haired girl with freckles called from where she stood. Cree ignored her, racing down the cliff side, unearthing loose plants and small pebbles._

"_Please be okay, please, please, please…"_

_Cree skidded down to the bottom of the ravine and stopped. Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief as the KND and teenagers began to make their way down._

_Numbuh 5 lay sprawled on her side on the ground where she had fallen. Her eyes were shut, and if Cree hadn't known any better, she would have believed her sister was asleep. Her hat lay torn and bruised a little ways away, and her braided hair fell in a gentle loop behind her head. Her clothes were torn and dirty. After a moment, Cree slowly walked over to her sister._

"_Abby?" Cree whispered._

_Nothing. Not even an eye opening. Her sister lay still, in that perfect calm._

"_Get up." _

_Her voice shook, almost pleading, but still no response from Numbuh 5. Slowly, Cree's denial began to die, but still she clung stubbornly to it._

"_Get up!"_

_**It was supposed to be me, it should have been me…**_

_Still nothing, and finally the denial drained from Cree. She sighed heavily, slowly sinking to the ground so she sat over her sister. _

_Timidly, the teenagers and the kids walked onto the scene. A gasp from Numbuh 3; Numbuh 2's eyes widened. The teenagers exchanged uneasy glances, not used to seeing Cree like this._

_Cree gazed at her little sister, grief swelling in her belly and clogging her throat, stopping the hot tears that she wanted to cry. She wanted to scream, she wanted to wail her grief for the entire world to hear, but it wouldn't bring Numbuh 5 back. Gently she ran her hand over Numbuh 5's shoulder, smoothed her hair. She rubbed her back, remembering when her sister had been small._

_She remembered times when her parents had been out and she had to baby-sit Numbuh 5, who at the time had been terrified of thunderstorms. So they had sat together on her bed, Numbuh 5 practically curled up in Cree's arms, counting the raindrops that hit the glass. She remembered when she had been Numbuh 11, training her little sister, showing her what she was capable of._

_After a moment, Cree lowered her head so her forehead was against Numbuh 5's, and finally she cried, a single tear that said more then sobs could. Numbuh 1 and 4 bowed their heads. Numbuh 3 began to sniffle. Numbuh 2's eyes shined with unshed tears. And the teenagers slowly bowed their heads to._

_Cree pulled away, looking at Numbuh 5 one last time. She sighed heavily, slowly getting to her feet._

"_No more fighting," she whispered hoarsely. "No more. We're done." She looked at Numbah 1; he nodded. She closed her eyes._

"_We're done."—_

Numbuh 5's eyes widened.

"That's what happened," Numbuh 1 murmured. "Cree left with the teenagers. She didn't know you were still okay, so I sent her a message a little while ago. I felt she deserves to know." After a moment, he got up to leave.

Numbuh 5 said nothing, lost in thought.

_The bond between sisters. I guess they weren't kidding, Cree._

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I originally had Cree bawling, but it didn't seem right for her character, so I went back and changed it to that one tear.

... You know, I liked this chapter so much better when I first wrote it...


	4. The Message

Disclaimer: I don't own KND. Please don't remind me.

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_Chapter 4: The Message_

"Cree, we've got something."

Cree sat up at the sound of Chad's voice. She sighed softly, rubbing her eyes, before rising to walk over to him and Maurice. Maurice looked at her, his eyes gentle.

"You okay?"

"What do you think?"

Maurice took Cree's hand; she rested her head briefly on his shoulder before speaking to Chad. "What?"

"A message from the KND."

Grief welled in Cree's chest; just hearing the three words "KND" reminded her of Numbuh 5. "Go ahead, let's see what it says."

Chad clicked a button, and the message began to play. The image of Nigel Uno, Numbuh 1, opened on the screen.

"_Hello, teenagers. I know what you are thinking; why am I contacting you? Well, this message isn't for you. It's for Cree._

_Cree, I just want you to know that Numbuh 5 is alright; a little bruised and battered, but she's alive. After you left, Numbuh 2 checked her, and all her vital signs were good. We're waiting for her to wake up now. That is all."_

The image faded from the screen, leaving the three teenagers in the room standing in stunned silence. Chad looked over at Maurice and Cree. Cree had an odd expression on her face; or, to be honest, no expression. Her face was totally blank. After a moment, a shudder shook her body.

"Excuse me for a sec," Cree said, walking calmly out of the room. She walked down the hall and ducked into the first empty room she saw. She checked to make sure the door was locked and that no other teenagers were close to the room at the present moment.

Standing in the center of the room, all alone, Cree felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted from her chest. Suddenly all the colors seemed brighter, the whole world seemed calmer, and a big grin split her face. Then she let out a whoop of pure delight, a whoop of relief.

"_YES! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU GOD!"_

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... Bleh. I really don't like this chapter, although Cree had to have some sort of reaction to the news that Abby was okay. And it's so damn _short_. Bleh.


	5. Through Your Eyes

_Chapter 5: Through Your Eyes_

It was about three days after "the incident". That was what it was called whenever anyone talked about it, whether they were teenagers or kids: "the incident". They couldn't think of any other way to describe it. A child had fallen, had been presumed dead, and a teenager had wept over their body. And not in private, either; she had wept right in front of the Kids Next Door, in front of her own fellow operatives. It was something that shook the teens and the kids deeply, and brought up the age-old question: could teens and kids really get along?

_Look at that cloud, as high as a tree_

_At least that's how it looks to me_

_How 'bout you? What do you see?_

_What if we see things differently?_

"Abby" as she had been referred to over the past three days had been unsure of how to exactly approach Cree on the subject of what exactly had happened; all she had going for her was Numbuh 1's recollection and her imagination of how Cree must have felt at that moment which, really, wasn't that much. But for now, it would have to be enough; she couldn't keep quiet about it any longer, and she was practically exploding with the urge to ask.

_Show me how the world looks through your eyes_

_Tell me 'bout the sunrise_

_Let me see the stars shine_

_Show me how the world looks through your eyes_

_And I can show you how it looks through mine_

Cree was in her room, lying on her belly on her bed, a pair of earphones clamped firmly on her ears, flipping boredly through a magazine. Her eyes were half-closed giving one the impression that she would fall asleep at any moment. Abby timidly walked into Cree's bedroom door, shaking slightly. She cleared her throat; Cree stirred, glancing up at her. Her eyes widened, and she pulled off her ear phones to let them rest around her neck.

"Abby? What is it?"

_If I had wings, and I could fly_

_I would tell you all about the sky_

_How 'bout you? If dreams came true_

_What do you imagine you could do?_

"Cree… can I ask you something? I won't talk in third person, I promise."

Cree slowly sat up, closing her magazine, watching Abby in confusion. "Um… okay. Go ahead."

"Remember what happened, three days ago? When I fell?"

"… Yes…"

"How did you feel? When I didn't get up, how did you feel? Numbuh 1… he told me, what he saw. But I wanna know from _you_."

"Why do you…?"

"Please, Cree. I've never asked you anything before."

_Show me how the world looks through your eyes_

_Tell me 'bout the sunrise_

_Let me see the stars shine_

_Show me how the world looks through your eyes_

_And I could show you how it looks through mine_

Cree chewed her lip. "Abby, that's a really hard question."

Abby seemed to shrink. She hung her head; after a moment, she sighed, nodding.

"I… I get it, Cree. It's… it's probably still hard to talk about for you." She stood there for a moment, then nodded, as though to herself.

"I guess I should beat it." She turned and began to walk out the door.

Cree's heart sank. "Abby, wait," she called. "Just… hold on a second. Please."

Abby paused, glancing back at her sister. "Yeah?"

"… Come over here."

_And I could show you secret trails, where no one's ever gone_

_I bet you've got secrets to, so don't be shy_

_Come on, come on, come on_

_Come on and_

Abby walked slowly to the bedside, climbing up onto it when Cree nodded. Without really thinking Abby crawled into Cree's lap; she had done it so many times when she had been small that it felt like second nature, and Cree didn't push her away. Instead, she gently wrapped her arms around her sister. She sighed softly.

"I don't… I don't know how to explain everything that I felt when you… fell."

"Can you try?"

Cree hesitated, gently playing with Abby's braid. Abby didn't push her. She just waited. After a moment, Cree took a deep breath.

"Well… there was guilt."

"Guilt?"

"Yes. I thought… when I got down there, I kept thinking it should have been me, not you. That if anyone had to die, it should have been me."

"_What!"_

"Maybe die was to broad a word…"

Abby trembled, huddling closer to Cree. Small chills shook her body. She had never thought that Cree talking of death… of her _dying_… would make her feel this way. Cree blinked in surprise as Abby huddled closer.

_Does me dying… does that scare her? _Gently Cree rubbed her back, trying to soothe her.

"After the guilt… well, there was grief. When you didn't get up… I just wanted to scream. I couldn't believe it. And that's when I realized how stupid I'd been."

Abby looked up at her sister curiously. "Stupid?"

Cree nodded. "Yeah, stupid. I realized that by trying to please Father… by trying to get revenge on the Kids Next Door, I had lost the one thing that mattered the most. I lost my family." In a softer, almost hushed tone, she added, "I lost _you_."

Abby raised her head so her eyes met Cree's.

"You never lost me," she murmured. "We just… got disconnected for awhile."

Cree subconsciously held Abby closer. "Are we still disconnected now?"

"No."

_Show me how the world looks through your eyes_

_Tell me 'bout the sunrise_

_Let me see the stars shine_

_Show me how the world looks through your eyes_

_And I could show you how it looks_

_Let me show you how it looks through mine_

After a few minutes, Cree opened her mouth. She wanted to tell Abby so many things. She wanted to tell her she was sorry. She wanted to tell her that she was proud of her little sister. Most importantly, she wanted to tell Abby that she had left the fight. She wouldn't be on anyone's side anymore.

"Cree?"

"Hmm?"

"We're not gonna fight anymore, right? I mean, not like before?"

Cree gently rested her chin on Abby's head, and Abby snuggled against her, closing her eyes, pulling her hat off to place it on Cree's head.

"Not anymore. I promise, Abby."

**The End**

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I know I already had this posted before, but I misspelled one of the words in the song and it's been driving me crazy, so I reposted it. Later I might post an alternate ending to Chapter 3, _Get Up._

As far as _Obsession _goes: Please review! With this story I need all the help I can get. I still haven't decided what the sequel will be like (though I'm leaning to b), and this is my first full on KND angst story.


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